by T. K. Leigh
I shake my head, confused. “Ski tracks?”
“Yeah.” He grabs my hand and flips it over, tracing his finger along the few lines in my palm. “Every person takes a different route down the mountain. But when you’re at the very top, you can see how often the various tracks intersect, even though each person took their own journey to the bottom. Like with us.” He holds my hand tightly. “We’re both on our own journey. Some journeys we’ll take together. Others, we’ll need to do on our own.” His lips slowly edge toward mine. “But when they do intersect, I guarantee it will be…”
“Magic,” I breathe as his mouth closes over mine.
“Exactly, honeybee. Magic. What we have is magic. And I promise I will do everything I can to ensure the magic never dies.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Weston
A sliver of sunlight stirs me awake the following morning, and I stretch, pulling Londyn’s naked body into mine. I nuzzle her neck, drawing in a deep inhale of her addictive scent. It brings me back to the day we first met. I’d found her scent intoxicating back then. And once I got a taste of her lips, I knew I was done for. There’s magic in her kisses. The perfect medicine for my soul.
“Morning,” Londyn says in a raspy voice.
“Morning, beautiful,” I murmur, kissing her neck. “Have I told you lately how much I love waking up next to you.”
“Mmm-hmm,” she moans as she wiggles her ass against me, causing my erection to harden, as if it needs any help. “I quite enjoy it myself.” She sighs and links her fingers with mine, resting my hand over her stomach. “So, what do you feel like doing today?”
I push her onto her back and hover over her, staring intently into her dark eyes that are lazy from sleep.
“A little of this…” I lower my mouth to her breast, circling her nipple with my tongue. She arches into me, her lips parting with her increased breathing.
I place my knee between her legs, spreading them apart as I lick my way from her chest and down her stomach. “And a little of this…” I dip my tongue into her belly button before continuing past her waist, settling between her thighs.
With a devilish grin, I lift my eyes to meet hers, my body throbbing when I see the raw need and hunger covering her. Then I grip her hips, urging her closer to my mouth. “And a whole lot of this.”
When my tongue flicks her clit, she exhales, digging her fingernails into my scalp as she moves against me.
“That feel good, baby?” I ask between licks.
“God yes.”
I glance up, pleasure visible in the lines of her face. I slip a finger inside, then another, stretching and massaging her. I doubt I’ll ever get my fill of this woman. She’s a drug, one I can’t resist, desperate to experience that unbridled bliss only being with Londyn can give me.
And I’m only too happy to do everything in my power to make her feel that same euphoria.
It doesn’t take long for her muscles to tighten, her breaths coming in shorter pants, her face scrunched up, as if trying to prolong this feeling. But I won’t let her. She deserves to feel good. Deserves to fall over the edge.
“Let go, baby. Let me feel you.” I return to her, pressing my tongue even more firmly against her clit, then suck gently. Like a bomb detonating, her body convulses beneath me, her cries echoing in the stillness of the morning as wave after wave of ecstasy courses through her.
When her tremors wane, I crawl up her frame and slam my mouth against hers. She bites my lower lip, a pleasurable ache settling deep within me. One I doubt will ever be satisfied. But if there’s anyone who can, it’s Londyn.
“Inside me,” she orders breathily, wrapping her legs around my waist. “Now.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I leave her with a kiss, leaning back and bringing my erection up to her.
Our gazes locked, I ease inside her, savoring every millimeter until I’m fully seated, staying still for a beat. Londyn arches her back, a ray of sunlight casting along her lustrous body as she closes her eyes, relishing in the sensation.
“Open them, baby,” I growl, running my hand along her torso.
She follows my request, meeting my stare, our connection unbreakable. Slowly, I begin to move inside her, wanting to take my time.
She grabs the back of my head, forcing my lips to hers. “I love you, Wes,” she breathes as she circles her hips against me, everything about her so damn perfect. From the way her body molds to mine. To the way her kisses light me on fire. To the way her heart loves me, even after being betrayed in the worst way possible.
And it’s that betrayal that makes her love feel even more powerful. She could have kept her heart locked up tightly. And she certainly tried. But I felt it that first day. We were made for each other. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.
“I love you, honeybee,” I declare.
With each thrust, each kiss, each scrape of her fingernails down my spine, my pulse increases. I lean into her touch, something as insignificant as a breath against my skin igniting me, my nerves overly sensitive.
When she takes my lower lip between her teeth again, I groan, increasing my motions until I can no longer hold back, my release overtaking me.
“Fuck,” I grunt, thrusting into her a few more times, then collapse on top of her, sated and content.
“I’m sorry,” I struggle to say through my ragged breathing. “I’d hoped to give you another one, but I couldn’t hang on. That’s what you do to me, baby. You make me lose all fucking control.”
She giggles as I nip at her throat. “A feat for a man who likes to stay in control of everything.”
“True. But I enjoy losing control with you.”
She wraps her arms and legs around me, her warmth causing me to stir yet again. “I can tell. Now get off me so I can go clean up.”
“Only if I can join you.” I waggle my brows.
“Shower?”
“A nice long shower. Because I plan on making you dirty again before it’s all over.”
“I like the sound of that.” She presses a light kiss to my lips just as a rustling sounds from the front porch.
We stiffen simultaneously, flinging our gazes toward the windows.
Normally, I’d blame it on the fact that we’re surrounded by nature. It’s not the first time an animal has made itself welcome on either one of the porches. But when the front door opens, I go into defensive mode.
Jumping out of bed, I tug on my pants, wondering why Zeus isn’t barking or growling at whoever it is.
Heavy footsteps grow closer as they storm up the stairs and down the hall. Then the bedroom door flies open, Imogene barreling into the room. Her blue eyes light up in excitement when she sees Londyn, who hastily attempts to pull the duvet up to her neck.
“Miss Londyn! I’ve missed you so much!” Imogene jumps onto the bed and flings her arms around her, as if there’s nothing wrong with her being here.
As uncomfortable as it is, Londyn’s state of undress isn’t what leaves her in shock. It’s the fact that she’s not supposed to be within fifty feet of Imogene, let alone in the same room.
She looks at me, questioning, as she weakly returns Imogene’s hug. All I can do is shake my head, mouth agape, no answer forthcoming. I wish I had one.
More footsteps grow close, and I whirl around. Julia comes to an abrupt stop when she sees Imogene on the bed with an obviously naked and confused Londyn.
There was once a time this wouldn’t have been an issue, apart from the awkwardness of my niece bursting in on us when we’re naked. Now there are court orders preventing us from spending time together. From enjoying this house as I pictured we all would.
“Imogene, sweetie, I think we may have woken Uncle Wes and Miss Londyn.” Julia plasters a forced smile onto her face, not wanting to let on to her daughter that anything’s amiss. “Why don’t we go downstairs and visit with Zeus? You were just mentioning how much you miss him.”
“Okay!” Without a single word of complaint,
she bounces off the bed, darting from the bedroom, her feet pounding down the stairs.
Julia looks at me, her lips parted, as if on the brink of saying something.
“I’m sorry” is all she can muster before spinning around, closing the door behind her.
A heavy silence settles in the room as Londyn and I stare at the closed door. I’d brought her here to forget everything for a minute. Now all her troubles are back, reminding her there’s nowhere she can go to escape them.
“What are we going to do?” Londyn asks after a few seconds.
I scrub a hand over my face, returning to her and sitting on the edge of the mattress. “We can’t all be here.”
“You can,” she reminds me with a sad smile. “But I can’t.”
“Which means I can’t, either. I go where you go, Lo. Plain and simple.”
I blow out a breath, my anger toward Nick growing with each passing second. His request for a protective order was bullshit, and he knows it. I’d understand the purpose behind it if Londyn were actually a criminal with a history of violence. She’s not. She’s a woman who protected herself. Yet she’s the only one being punished.
“I’ll go talk to her,” I declare. “See if we can work out something.”
“I’m sorry, Wes. This whole situation… It sucks.”
“I won’t disagree with you. But for now, we’ll abide by every court order in place. Soon, this will all be over and we’ll be able to go back to normal.”
Tears threaten to spill over her eyelids and down her cheeks. “What is normal?”
I wrack my brain for the right answer. But as seems to be the case lately, I come up empty. “I wish I knew. But we’ll find some sort of normal. Together.” I press a kiss to her lips, then stand, grabbing a t-shirt from my bag. I pull it on and step out into the hallway, closing the door behind me.
As I’m about to pad down the stairs, I stop in my tracks at the sound of Imogene yelling and crying.
“But you promised me!” she shrieks.
I retreat, hiding behind the wall, but shift my body so I can still see them.
While Julia and Imogene have spent months under my roof in the past, I’ve never witnessed them argue. Not like this. She’s only a few months shy of her seventh birthday, so she still has her moments, as any young child does. But she’s also a very reasonable little girl. This is out of character for her.
“I know I did, sweetie. But we can’t stay.” Julia crouches down and attempts to pull her daughter in for a hug, which she pushes away from.
“Why? Why can’t we? We stayed with Uncle Wes and Miss Londyn during Thanksgiving! And Christmas! What’s different now?”
I can see the weight on Julia’s shoulders as she pinches the bridge of her nose. “Everything’s different now, baby. I wish it weren’t. God, do I wish things weren’t. But right now, we need to go back home.”
“To my real home?” she asks, placing her hands on her hips.
“It’s too long of a drive. Maybe we can go for a few days next weekend.”
Imogene glowers at Julia, her tiny hands fisting. “I hate it here! And I hate you!” She whirls around, storming down the hallway, the screen door off the back porch slamming behind her.
If I felt bad about this mess before, I feel absolutely horrible now. I can deal with disappointing my sister. I hate letting down my niece.
“You can come down now, Wes,” Julia says after a few moments, the defeat audible in her tone. “I know you’re up there.”
Blowing out a long breath, I step onto the landing, then shuffle downstairs. “You heard me?”
“You’re not exactly stealthy. Doesn’t help that the floorboards in this house are on the creaky side. Unless you know where to step,” she adds, but her words lack their normal teasing nature.
“I take it Imogene isn’t happy about being in Atlanta.” I run my fingers through my hair.
“She’s having a difficult time lately.” She stares out past the back porch.
I follow her gaze, able to make out Imogene sitting under an overgrown oak tree, arms wrapped around her knees. Zeus remains at her side, nuzzling her.
“She hates having to wear a uniform to school. Even worse, it’s a dress.” She playfully rolls her eyes before her expression becomes serious once more. “She misses home. The way things were before…” She trails off. “Well, before.”
“I think we all do.”
“I should have checked with you first, but it never crossed my mind. I’m so used to being able to come down here whenever Imogene asks that it didn’t even register you and Londyn might be here. I didn’t see your car out front, so—”
“I put it in the garage last night since they were predicting rain.”
“I figured. I’ll just… I’ll figure out something else. Maybe book a hotel suite downtown. Go for a mani-pedi. Call it a girls’ weekend.”
“I’ll reach out to Mia and have her arrange something for you,” I offer. “Tell her to charge it to my account.”
“I can take care of it, Wes.”
“Please, Jules.” I touch her arm. “Let me do this for you.”
Closing her eyes, she nods, blowing out a long breath. “Okay.”
I pull her into my arms and kiss the top of her head.
“You’re a good brother, Wes.”
“I love you, Jules. I’ll do anything for you.” I peer down at her. “You know that, don’t you?”
Chewing on her lower lip, something akin to indecision flickers within. Then she releases a sigh, stepping out of my hold and avoiding my eyes.
“We’ll get out of your hair. Let you enjoy your weekend.” She starts toward the back door.
I part my lips, wanting to tell her she doesn’t have to go. But she does. And there’s nothing I can do about it.
As she’s about to step out onto the back porch, she pauses, glancing back at me. “Maybe the three of us can get together for dinner on Monday night?” She lifts a brow.
“Three of us?”
“Yeah. You, me, and Imogene. Like old times.”
“I’d like that.”
“Me, too.” She returns my smile, then continues onto the porch and down the stairs, slowly walking across the yard.
I watch as she talks to Imogene for a minute, who grudgingly pulls herself to her feet. After showering Zeus with plenty of hugs and kisses, she follows Julia to the front of the house and into their car.
Once I hear the crunching of tires kicking up dirt, I blow out a breath and turn, about to head up to the master bedroom, but pause when I notice Londyn standing halfway down the stairs.
“Is Imogene okay?” She fidgets with the hem of my oversized t-shirt she threw on.
“She’ll be okay. I told Julia to book a hotel suite downtown on me.”
She nods, drawing in a shaky breath before blurting out, “I’m sorry I destroyed everything.”
I take the steps two at a time to get to her and cup her cheeks. “Don’t you dare say that. Don’t you dare think that.”
“But you’re sacrificing so much by being with me. Losing so much. Clients. Your sister. Your niece. Is it really worth it?”
“Yes, it is,” I reply intently. “A hundred times, yes. It is worth it. You are worth it. You think I’m losing so much by being with you. But I’d lose more by not being with you. Don’t you dare ever think otherwise. Okay?”
Her eyes trace over mine, as if searching for any hint of reluctance on my part. But she won’t find any. Not when it comes to her.
I lower my lips to hers, trying to erase any question of my devotion. She’s stiff at first, at war with herself. But she eventually melts into me, her body molding to mine. When I pull back, the concern and uneasiness has vanished, a look of adoration in her eyes as she gazes up at me.
“Still game for a shower?” I ask, a single brow cocked.
She gives me a flirtatious look. “Still game to make me dirty?”
I draw her back to me, squeezing her ass. “
Always, darling.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Weston
“How was everything?” Miss Clara approaches the same booth Gampy used to always request whenever we came here all those years ago. The table may have been swapped out and the booth reupholstered, but it’s in the same spot with the same exact view of Main Street out the large windows.
“Absolutely terrible,” I joke, throwing my napkin onto my plate that once held Miss Clara’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes, another one of Gampy’s favorites.
“I see that. Just like your gampy. Y’all say the meatloaf is terrible, yet you order it every single time. And eat every last bite, too, I might add.”
“Just hoping it’ll eventually get better.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” She rolls her eyes, taking my plate as she turns toward Londyn. “And how about you, dear? Did you get enough?”
“You may just have the best chicken pot pie I’ve had in quite some time.”
“And the collards?”
“Almost as good as my mama’s.”
“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment. Because if you ask me, everyone’s mama makes the best collards.” She winks. “Now, what do you two say to some peach cobbler?”
The bell over the door chimes, announcing a new arrival. Clara glances toward it, about to tell whoever to sit wherever they’d like, as she always does. Instead, her expression hardens into an annoyed stare. It’s a stark contrast to her typical hospitality.
“Well, well, well…”
When I hear that familiar voice, I know precisely what caused Miss Clara’s reaction. I look past her as Grady Stowe saunters toward us, the same lackeys who’d been with him at the county fair following dutifully behind.
“I’d heard you brought that girl back to town, but didn’t think it possible.”
“Why?” I glower. “Think your threats last summer really had any effect on me? Hate to break it to you, but I’ve spent plenty of time here since then. We both have. Together.” I reach across the table, squeezing Londyn’s hand.